He told the Daily Mirror: "The last 48 hours have been a living hell for me - I've been getting it in the neck from all sides, but no one feels worse about the whole thing than I do."

Reports have suggested £1.5m was staked on the race with the betting exchange Betfair, which allows punters to make money by backing horses to lose, as well as winning.

Fallon added: "I read in the newspapers that there were suspicious betting patterns before the ride, but I can assure anyone who thinks I'm linked up with that sort of
thing that they are barking up the wrong tree.

"I think punters will appreciate I want to win more than they do and I would
hope that people who follow me show more of a profit than a loss."